Preparing To Rejoice In Him // January 7, 2018

PREPARE YOUR HEART FOR WORSHIP ON JANUARY 7, 2018

“In most testimonies the ‘good news’ is only a small part of the story, obscured by our achieving and overcoming. In Brennan’s story and mine, the good news is the entire story, which blessedly leaves us with nothing to prove or protect…And in the ruins of my own story of dreams and heartache and alcohol and success and marriage and children and divorce and church and ministry and betrayal and forgiveness and love and loss, I saw that it is true, and I worshipped. It is true. All is grace.”
– Sharon A. Hersch, author of The Last Addiction: Why Self-Help is Not Enough

“The person who loves their dream of community will destroy community, but the person who loves those around them will create community.” ― Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Christian Community

WORSHIP IN SONG :: THERE IS A FOUNTAIN

There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veinsAnd sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stainsLose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stainsAnd sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains

Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood shall never lose its powerTill all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no moreBe saved, to sin no more, be saved, to sin no moreTill all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more

E’er since, by faith, I saw the stream Thy flowing wounds supplyRedeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I dieAnd shall be till I die, and shall be till I dieRedeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die

Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood shall never lose its powerTill all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no moreBe saved, to sin no more, be saved, to sin no moreTill all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more

GOD CALLS US TO WORSHIP :: LAMENTATIONS 3:22-24

[22] The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
[23] they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
[24] “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.” (ESV)

CONFESSION OF SIN & ASSURANCE OF PARDON

Elder: Almighty God, we acknowledge and confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed; we have not loved you with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength; we have not loved our neighbor as ourselves.

People: Deepen within us our sorrow for the wrong we have done, and the good we have left undone.

Elder: Lord, you are full of compassion and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy; there is always forgiveness with you!

People: Restore to us the joy of your salvation; bind up that which is broken, give light to our minds, strength to our wills, and rest to our souls. Speak to each of us, and let your word abide with us until it has wrought in us your holy will. Amen.

GOD’S WORD PROCLAIMED :: PHILIPPIANS 1:1-11

Greeting

[1] Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,

To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:

[2] Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving and Prayer

[3] I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, [4] always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, [5] because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. [6] And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. [7] It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. [8] For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. [9] And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, [10] so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, [11] filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (ESV)